Heath Bell, baseball player, 2004-2014

Heath Bell

Born: 9/29/1977 in Oceanside, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 2004-08-24 | Final Game: 2014-05-03

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 235 lbs

Full name: Heath Justin Bell

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Biography

Heath Bell was a prominent relief pitcher in Major League Baseball, known for his powerful fastball and effective closing abilities. Born in 1977, he made his debut in the league on April 24, 2004, and played until his retirement on May 3, 2014. Over the course of his career, which spanned a decade, Bell compiled a record of 38-32 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.49. He recorded 637 strikeouts and achieved a remarkable 168 saves, establishing himself as one of the more reliable closers of his era. Bell's performance earned him three selections to the All-Star Game, showcasing his talent on a national stage. He was particularly notable during his time with the San Diego Padres, where he became a fan favorite and a key figure in the team's bullpen. His contributions came during a period when the role of the closer was evolving, with players like Bell exemplifying the importance of specialized relief pitching in securing game outcomes. His legacy is marked not only by his statistics but also by his tenacity on the mound and his ability to perform under pressure, making him a respected figure in baseball history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
38 32 590 0 0 0 168 628.7 584 244 48 214 637 3.49 0

Career ERA 3.49 vs. league average 4.19 across their career seasons — 16.5% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
2004 NYN NL 0 2 17 0 0 0 0 24.3 22 9 6 27 3.33 4.46 (+25%) 136.7
2005 NYN NL 1 3 42 0 0 0 0 46.7 56 29 13 43 5.59 4.29 (-30%) 1623.2
2006 NYN NL 0 0 22 0 0 0 0 37.0 51 21 11 35 5.11 4.53 (-13%) 253.5
2007 SDP NL 6 4 81 0 0 0 2 93.7 60 21 30 102 2.02 4.47 (+55%) -
2008 SDP NL 6 6 74 0 0 0 0 78.0 66 31 28 71 3.58 4.32 (+17%) -
2009 SDP NL 6 4 68 0 0 0 42 69.7 54 21 24 79 2.71 4.32 (+37%) -
2010 SDP NL 6 1 67 0 0 0 47 70.0 56 15 28 86 1.93 4.08 (+53%) -
2011 SDP NL 3 4 64 0 0 0 43 62.7 51 17 21 51 2.44 3.94 (+38%) -
2012 MIA NL 4 5 73 0 0 0 19 63.7 70 36 29 59 5.09 4.01 (-27%) 470.3
2013 AZ NL 5 2 69 0 0 0 15 65.7 74 30 16 72 4.11 3.87 (-6%) -
2014 TBR AL 1 1 13 0 0 0 0 17.3 24 14 8 12 7.27 3.74 (-94%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
590 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.0

Career AVG .000 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career OBP .000 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career SLG .000 vs. league average .411 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.000 vs. league average 0.739 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
2004 NYN NL 17 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2005 NYN NL 42 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2006 NYN NL 22 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2007 SDP NL 81 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2008 SDP NL 74 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2009 SDP NL 68 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2010 SDP NL 67 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2011 SDP NL 64 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2012 MIA NL 73 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2013 AZ NL 69 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2014 TBR AL 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 590 0 40 83 1 9

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
2004 NYN P 17 0 0 3 0 0
2005 NYN P 42 0 2 8 0 2
2006 NYN P 22 0 0 7 0 1
2007 SDN P 81 0 7 17 0 1
2008 SDN P 74 0 8 7 0 1
2009 SDN P 68 0 7 9 0 1
2010 SDN P 67 0 3 4 0 0
2011 SDN P 64 0 3 5 0 0
2012 MIA P 73 0 1 14 0 2
2013 ARI P 69 0 8 7 1 1
2014 TBA P 13 0 1 2 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 590

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
2010 Reliever of the Year Award
2010 TSN Reliever of the Year
2009 Reliever of the Month April
2009 Reliever of the Year Award

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2014 TBA AL $9,000,000
2013 ARI NL $10,000,000
2012 MIA NL $7,000,000
2011 SDN NL $7,500,000
2010 SDN NL $4,000,000
2009 SDN NL $1,255,000
2008 SDN NL $420,000
2007 SDN NL $385,500
Total Career Earnings $39,560,500

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Santa Ana College Santa Ana CA 1997, 1998

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
2010 Cy Young Award NL 8th 4.0 224 0
2010 Most Valuable Player NL 25th 2.0 448 0